PropertyKey: IRIS Tutorial

IRIS Integrated Realty Information System - Tutorial

Starting IRIS
Logging in to the server
IRIS basics and screen layout
Conducting a search

Search Results
Picture Tab
Map Tab
Mailing Label Wizard

To start IRIS, click on the IRIS icon in the IRIS group in the Start menu. A splash screen will appear, followed by the main IRIS screen, and the Connect to IRIS Server window. You should be connected to the Internet when you start IRIS.

Logging Into a Server

Type in your Username, Password and Server Name (as supplied by your IRIS representative) and press Connect....
Note: Type these EXACTLY as given to you. Be sure your Caps Lock key is off. IRIS will remember the Username and Server Name, but you must type in your Password whenever you use IRIS.

IRIS Basics and Screen Layout

IRIS was built using standard interfaces, including a menu bar and tool bar at the top of the screen. From the Tools menu you can Log In/Out and change your IRIS settings. From the Output menu, you can copy, save, print, email, and make mailing labels. Help is available through the Help menu. All of these functions can also be accessed through the toolbar.

IRIS is based on a tab-card paradigm. This means that rather than trying to fit all of the information on the screen at once, we categorize and display all the data on tabbed pages, just like file folders or a Rolodex. Simply click on a tab to bring up a page of data about your subject property. A map is available on the Map Tab. Demographics are available on the Demographics Tab. Pictures, where available, display on a tab marked Picture. The Tax, Appraisal and other data is also organized and displayed on classified and labeled tabs. All the searching functionality of IRIS can be accessed on the Search Tab.

Conducting a Search

The search tab allows you to choose the county and the database you want to search in by selecting the proper entry from the 2 drop-down selection boxes at the top of the search tab.

Next you type pick the field(s) you want to search. Type the criteria of your search in the boxes on the right side of the screen. This example shows a search for the property at 1313 Main St in the city of Metropolis. Click on Start Search to search.

NOTE: In addition to searching for Equal criteria, you can also search for properties Greater Than, Less Than, or Between your desired criteria by changing the search qualifier setting in the appropriate drop-down selection box.

Search Results

When IRIS has finished searching, it will tell you how many matching properties it found (58 in this example), and display the first matching record. You can move back and forth through these records using the arrow buttons on the the IRIS Toolbar.

If you want to view more than one record at a time, you can use the Browse Feature. Click on the Browse Results button on the right side of the Toolbar. This will display all the matching records in a spreadsheet fashion with each record on one row, as shown below. To select one of the displayed records, double click on the desired row.

Select a property and click on any of the other tabs at the top of the screen to find more detailed data about that property.

Picture Tab

The Picture Tab becomes active when IRIS has a picture or pictures of the property you have selected. We try to take a digital photo of every property in the counties that we serve. In some areas, we also have other pictures tied to the properties, such as MLS photos, building subarea drawings, or raster plat maps. If these are available, they will show up in the picture list on the Picture Tab. Double click on an entry in this picture list to download and view the image.

You can also zoom in and out or pan around pictures displayed in IRIS by using the Image Tools buttons located below the Picture List.

Pictures, just like any information in IRIS, can be printed, saved, copied to the clipboard, or sent in an email. Click on the appropriate tool in the Toolbar, or in the Output menu.

Map Tab

The Map Tab contains an interactive mapping interface. This will draw a map for the area surrounding your selected property. You can also select a new property to view, simply by double-clicking on this new property on the map. This allows you to quickly look at information from properties around your subject neighborhood.

Icons will appear on the map identifying points of interest, and where available, For Sale and recently Sold properties. Click on the icons to learn more about these properties.

This map will display parcel maps when your map scale is less than 1 mile. Over 1 mile, the map will display street and major road maps to give you an overview of the neighborhood you are examining. Zoom in and out to learn more about the area on the map.

Selected Map Tools

Zoom - Zoom in or out for more or less detailed maps. Type in a new scale, select with a scroll bar, or choose predefined levels.	ID Roads and Point - Learn more about the roads and properties on the map. Click on the button and then on what you want to identify.
Magnify - Draw a box around a section or your current map to see the region in more detail.	Label Map -Labels roads and properties on the map with information from IRIS or with a custom text label.
Move - Use the move buttons to pan your map. Each button will move the map 1/2 screen in the indicated direction.	Choose Layers - Use your mouse to select which Icon layers you want displayed on the map.
Measure - Measure the size of a selected area. Left click to start and note corners. Right click to finish and calculate.	Capture Data from the Map - Draw a box around an area on the map, and select which database you want downloaded from that area.

Mailing Label Wizard

With the IRIS Label Wizard, you can easily create mailing labels for any of the properties you find in IRIS. You can select properties by conducting a Search, or by drawing a box around them on the map. After you have selected the desired properties and clicked on the Create Labels from... button, the IRIS Label Wizard window will appear.

The IRIS Label Wizard will walk you through the rest.

Select which set of of Labels you want (Owners, Occupants, etc.)
Then select which Label Format you will be printing on.
Click on the Get The Labels button to download the labels to your computer.
Then click on the Print the Labels button to start printing.

Its Just That Easy!!!

If you have any questions about using IRIS, read through our other online support offerings or contact us for more help.